USPS Employees Help Stamp Out Hunger

Saturday, May 9 marks the 23rd anniversary of America’s great days of giving — the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. For the past 22 years nationwide, letter carriers and others have collected non-perishable food donations from their customers on the second Saturday of May.

The need for food donations is great. Currently 49 million Americans — 1 in 6 — are unsure where their next meal is coming from. Almost 5 million seniors aged 60 and older are “food insecure,” with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help. And 16 million are children who feel hunger’s effect on their overall health and ability to perform in school.

Our food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons — by springtime, many pantries are depleted. That means they enter the summer low on supplies when school breakfast and lunch programs aren’t available to many children in most need.

Last year, we collected more than 72 million pounds of food nationally, feeding an estimated 30 million people. Over the past 22 years, the drive has collected well over 1 billion pounds of food to help feed hungry people across the United States, as well as Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Join in America’s great day of giving and help the fight to end hunger. Participating in this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave a non-perishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox May 9 and your carrier will do the rest.